Following part 1 of our annual K-pop wrap-up, let's continue to review some of the best hits in the second half of 2023! 

July: NewJeans - Super Shy

Since their debut in 2022, NewJeans has been garnering immense popularity worldwide with their one-of-a-kind Y2K concept. Following the success of "OMG" in January, the girls made another comeback with their second mini album "Get Up" in July. The title track "Super Shy" is a refreshing dance pop with cute and addictive lyrics about the girls nervously confessing to their first love. The song continues to demonstrate NewJeans' adorable image, and the members' sweet voices suit the song perfectly. On top of that, Hanni's playful tongue bite and wink after singing "You don't even know my name do you" is truly iconic! 

August: EVERGLOW - Slay

After a year and eight months of hiatus since the release of "RETURN OF THE GIRL", 4th gen EDM queens EVERGLOW was finally back to slay the K-pop world with a new single album "ALL MY GIRLS" in August. The title track "SLAY" is an electrifying EDM track with an empowering theme, where the girls sing their determination to overcome sufferings and pave their own path in life, while encouraging their female fans to follow them to break free of the society's definition of a "good girl" and find their true self. EVERGLOW dancing to the powerful choreography with the back up dancers in sync accentuates the energy of the song, and this track is definitely a go-to girl crush song for boosting your morale! 

September: CRAVITY - Ready Or Not 

CRAVITY dropped their 6th mini album "SUN SEEKER" in September, which carries a meaningful message of encouraging fans to seek for their "sun" in life. The title track "Ready Or Not" encapsulates the album's theme, where the members sing the excitement of pursing their dreams, and ask the listeners to go toward where their hearts gravitate no matter they are ready or not. The youthful lyrics and upbeat melody bring out the signature cheerful boy-next-door image of CRAVITY. Also, the creative animations highlight the street-style concept of the song and make the members appear like they are coming out straight from a manga, and the transition between Serim's mic drop and Allen's rap part is so cool! 

October: SEVENTEEN - God Of Music

Following the success of "FML" in May, "Self-sustained" idol group SEVENTEEN made another comeback with "SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN" in October. Contrary to their last title track "Super" which showcases the mature and powerful side of the group, "God of Music" is a cheerful and lighthearted party song that is about the members showing gratitude to music for uniting the entire world. This song brings back the bright and youthful color of SEVENTEEN in their early days, and many CARAT expressed how much they love the return of bright SEVENTEEN. Watching the members are having fun and partying from day to night around different places in the world in the music video just brightens up your day! 

November: ZEROBASEONE - Crush

2023 marks the arrival of 5th gen K-pop groups, and one of the most promising ones is ZEROBASEONE. The double-million seller rookies have been making waves in the K-pop scene since their debut in July with "Youth In The Shade", and they made a quick return with "Melting Point" in November. Although the title track "Crush" also revolves around the "flower" theme of their debut song "In Bloom", this track showcases a dark and mature side of the group by talking about how the members are determined to endure all the pain and protect their love at all cost by becoming thorns, which is the Korean title of the song (가시). The touching lyrics coupled with the intense choreography and punchy beat of the song just make all ZEROSE's hearts flutter and fall even more for the limitless charms of the boys!

December: ATEEZ - Crazy Form

Last year was a busy year for the pirate kings as they dropped three albums while continuing with their "The Fellowship : Break the Wall" world tour. In December, ATEEZ finally released their second full-length album "THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL", drawing a perfect ending to their "The World" series. The name of the title track "Crazy Form" takes inspiration from the Korean slang "폼 미쳤다", which describes someone who is in their best condition. The song is an Afrobeat-based dancehall anthem that declares the members ambition to surpass expectations and reach greater success, confidently saying that they are now in their "crazy form". Many ATINY couldn't stop replaying Wooyoung's legendary butt dance, and some even made GIFs of Wooyoung doing the dance with MITO (the rabbit mascot of this album)!

LETS GOOOOOOOOOO #ATEEZ_CrazyForm #ATEEZ_WILL #ATEEZfanart pic.twitter.com/x7pcun466s

— hyemi🌱 (@pocketeez_) November 30, 2023

Do you also like the above songs, and what is your favorite K-pop song last year? Share us your thoughts and your 2023 K-pop playlist with us in the comment!

Wish everyone all the best in 2024! <3